Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-08-25
CHARGED WITH ABSTR ACTING
RECORDS.
A Pension Office Clerk and a Pension
Attorney Arrested.

Richard r. Brouner. 81 200 clerk In the Surviv-
ing Soldiers and Sailors Division of the Pension
ONCE, was arrested yesterday afternoon by De-
tectives Mattingly and Wheeler on a charge OF alb
stracting records from the Office. About the same
time the officers arrested Allan g. Rutherford,
pension and claims attorney, having an Office in
the Corcoran building, who is charged with hav-
Ing received the stolen records The arrests were
made on warrants sworn out by Special Agent
Roome OF the Pension Office. At the Police Court
bail was fixed in each case at s. OOO This amount
was furnished by Mr.. Rutherford who came to
court In company with his counsel, Mr. Chas.
was Locked up at the second precinct station.
THE ABSrRACrED PAPERS.
The papers which, it Is charged Brouner took
from the Office contain information concerning
surviving soldiers, record OF their service the
companies and regiments to which they belonged,
together with their present conditions and places
OF abode. They were prepared in the different
divisions OF the Pension Office be used for pur-
poses or reference In examining pension claims,
ana were copied into the books OF the surviving
soldiers division. The original documents, IT Is
claimed, were Of little value to the Government
after they had been copied, but OF obvious value
TO pension attorney reaching out for business.
Br0uneT, was engaged in the work Of copying
THESE papers and they were entrusted to him TO
place on file. Recently 1t was discovered that
certain information sent to the division had not
been recorded search was made for the orig1-
Bdl document, but IL could not be found. This led
10 the further discovery that least 500 OF these
papers were missing. The warrant charges the
theft OF 500 records OF the value of 81 each. The
tAeitS, 1t Is alleged, occurred over year ago.
Sptrlal Agent Roome has recently been investi-
eating the matter and as a result of his inquiries
the arrests were made yesterday.
NIX. BKoUNER's ADMISSIONS.
Mr. Brouner, after his arrest, acknowledged
having taken the papers, but not with intention to
rob the government, as he said he had been led to
believe that the papers were worthless. Some of
them had been destroyed as soon as cOpieJ He
a Rufhpr.
ford. but denied Seceiyng any money for them.
Mr. Rutherford. he said, was constantly sending to
the Office for information such as these papers
tanned, and he, Brouner, had suggested to him
that II be could get these papers they would save
MIN great deii VI trouble Nil. Rutherford agreed
10 this, and after that Brouner sent him papers
from time 70 tine.
r. RUTHERFORD INDIGNANT.
Mr.. Rutherford was quite Indignant at his ar
rest, denied any knowledge or the papers, and ex-
pressed suspicion that former chief clerk OF
his, who had been conducting his business, and
who had been discharged by Mr.. Rutherford, had
1nStigated the arrest. Mr.. Rutherford, who is
Well-known as an attorney, was formerly one OF
The auditors Of the Treasury.
4 ne detectives, upon searching Mr.. Rutherfords
o1fce found some OF the missing papers, which
Mr. Rutherford said must have been taken to his
Office without his knowledge.
Mr.. BrUuneT, who i, about fifty years Old is a
Widower, and has been living with his children at
Laurel, ALL lie IS a prominent Grand Army man,
and was appointed To the Pension Office by Com
missioner Van Aernam August 20, 1870 and cred
tied TO the sew nth New York district, from
whence the complainant, Mr.. Roome. was ap-
pointed November ~, 1850. Rrountr has had the
reputation OF being a straightforward, honest
man, and spoke without reserve as TO the papers.
BoTH CASES GO OVER UNTIL TOMORROW.
This morning in the Police Court Assistant Dis
trict Attorney Sheppard called the case OF
Brouner to the attention of Judge Harper, and
asked that it go over until tomorrow, at which
time the case OF Gen. Rutherford will be called.
he SAID that he would ask the court to fix the
bail at 5000, a. he understood he could give that
amount, ;,lid cod not give $1,000. The defend
ant was III the dock. ! he court fixed the bail at
the din0ult asked, and continued the case until
tO-lnOTrUw.